Stark End
by acernine
Summary: The stark truth is boundless; leading to endless possibilities. Join our hero on a twisting adventure as he unearths truths that weren't meant to be discovered.
1. Chapter 1

All copyright of this story belongs to Blizzard; this is fanfiction. If Blizzard disapproves of the content of this story, I will immediately take it down, following an official request. Thank you Blizzard for the inspiration from your amazing game: Overwatch.

Prologue

Sitting atop a boulder, I gazed down at the narrow river below me. The only sound for miles was my own breath, and the sound of water leaving the mountainside. The morning sun cast its rays on the water below, scarcely thawing the frost along the bank. It had taken a year of walking to reach this point. Three thousand kilometers, just to sit on this rock; I had gone so far, but in my gut, I knew all my problems had travelled with me. "I could always head back home." I thought. Shaking my head, I was done. There was nothing left to go back to. "What's the point of life?" I said aloud to myself. Looking down, I stared into the distance; Frozen in time. Two hands locked onto my shoulders. "This is." A deep throaty voice whispered into my ear. Without even a scream, I was sent plunging nine hundred feet into the shallow river below. Anger, fear, confusion, I did not know what to feel. Despite my emotion, I had my resolve. "You're wrong!" I called out. Wishing for a miracle, nothing came. The last thing I remember is the jarring impact of my face slamming into the water.

Chapter 1

They say you appreciate life most in your final moments. If I could find whoever said that, I'd tell them "Frankly, it's afterwards."

Gasping for air, I was conscious, still floating in the water. Not even knowing where I was, I thought: "How long have I been in here?" Squinting, it was a lot darker than before. Both eyes were so swollen, I could only see through a narrow slit in my right eye. My right arm refused to move, and I had several deep gashes along my torso. Glancing over at my right arm, I could just make out the outline of a bone jutting out. Maybe it was a good thing I couldn't see too well. One thing I did know is that I had to get out of the water, or I would surely pass out a second time; never to wake up again. Through the narrow slight in my right eye, I could see a river bend approaching. Instinctively, I began kicking towards the edge of the bend with all the energy I had left. Using the current to my advantage, I was able to float diagonally on my back all the way to shore.

Emerging from the water, I got to my feet. Using my left hand, I wrung out my clothing as much as I could. Laughing to myself, I knew my problems truly did follow me all the way to Ivvavik National Park; still wanting to kill me after three thousand kilometers of hiking. My gear was far, far away, and I was lost. Dusk was beginning to settle in, giving me the realization I had no food, shelter or medical supplies. If I did not find one of the three, they would win. In my narrow vision, I could make out a big grassy hill. If I climbed that, the vantage point would be great. Hobbling along, I clumsily stepped over loose rocks scattered all over the ground. I was only halfway up the hill before dusk decided to run out. The night suddenly brought a chill with it as I slowly stumbled upwards. Despite it being summer, it still got cold quickly at night in the north.

'But hey, if I fell off a cliff and lived, I can totally make this hill." I thought to myself. Panting, I still thought about the voice of the thing that pushed me. 'Had they really tracked me that far?' I thought to myself. Confused, I stumbled on until the ground no longer sloped upwards. This was it, I was at the top and there was nothing for me but darkness. Unwilling to resign to defeat, I dropped to my knees and felt along the ground, feeling nothing but grass and leaves. Dropping all standards, I picked the grass and ate it. Picking up some of the leaves, I pressed them against the gashes on my torso, slowing the blood flow. Finally, I curled up into a miserable, wet ball of self-pity. 'Why am I trying so hard to live?' I thought to myself. Contemplating this, I sat there for minutes; maybe even hours.

Breaking me out of my trance, I saw a light. Just one very dim light, about five hundred feet away. Then another, and then another. In stunned silence, I sat and watched hundreds of lights flicker to life in the middle of nowhere in Ivvavik. With curiosity burning inside, I crawled closer, staying on the grass to muffle my noise. Reaching the edge of the light, I felt a tree and hid behind it. 'Did they know I was still alive?' I thought. Peering out from behind the tree, I saw at least one hundred blurry blobs with their backs turned all facing something else. 'Is this a meeting?' I thought. My question was quickly laid to rest when the lead figure began to speak in a very loud, low voice "Former agents of…ahem. Agents of Overwatch! You have all answered my recall. The people decided they were better off without us, but we need to do something! All of you that are now here believe the same thing. This is the 2nd Omnic Crisis."

'Tap.' I slammed myself backwards. "Whatcha lookin at?" said a higher pitched voice in a British accent behind me. Slowly turning my head, I could just make out the silhouette of 2 pistols pointed right at me. "Fuck off." I replied. The figure behind me laughed genuinely for several seconds. "No. You're coming with me." She said, nudging me towards the light with her pistols. Giving a long sigh, I resign, get up, and hobble slowly towards the open. Upon reaching the light, I hear an audible gasp "Wha happened to you?" in genuine concern. "Long story." I croak back. Turning, I face my captor to confirm that she is indeed a female. Despite my poor eyesight, I was amazed to see she had crazy brown hair growing all over the place; I couldn't understand how she could keep it like that in the middle of a forest… She wore a shiny blue orb around her waist and had a fitting brown pilot's jacket. Strangest of all was a random pair of orange goggles. "Well, I'd quite like to hear that story." The woman returned. "Are you going to kill me?" I asked. "Gosh, no. Why would you think that?" she answered. "Am I a prisoner?" I asked. "Right now, yes. You look too tense." She warmly replied. "Who are you?" I asked. "I'm Tracer!" she answered, almost taken aback I had never heard of her. "No. Who are you people?" I demanded. With patience running out, she simply said "Follow me." With guns at my back, I walked forward to a structure up ahead. Sighing, I thought 'Totally asked too many questions. If she wanted me dead, I'd probably have been dead at that tree.' The door opened automatically, and I stepped inside.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The hallway was long, and dimly lit. Despite being a prisoner, I was still dumbfounded at the fact there was a building, right here, in the middle of nowhere. Steadily marching forward, the hallway was furnished to a minimum with many blue security lights blinking over each doorway. There were doors on either end of the hallway, but one large double door at the very end of the corridor. If luck would have had it, we kept walking straight towards the double doored room. "Turn around, face the door, and put your hands on the back of your head." Ordered Tracer. Without a doubt, I immediately complied, not wanting to make my situation any worse. Grimacing, I realized my right arm wouldn't move. "Uhhh… Right arm won't work" I said.

Tracer's hardened look softened. "Just turn around and face the doors." She said. I immediately complied. As I stared at the door, I could hear a series of beeping noises, and then the pressurized sound of the double doors sliding open. "Welcome Lena. Welcome Faze. Please enter." Said a robotic voice. Turning around, I faced Tracer to see her pistols were already holstered. "Your name is Lena? I thought your name was Tracer?" I asked. "Your name is Faze? I thought your name was… oh wait! You never told me!" She mockingly replied. "How'd you know my name?" I inquired. "Long story." Answered Tracer in a low voice. "Well, I'd quite like to hear that story." I replied in my best British accent. Both laughing, Tracer pointed at a very large table with around twelve chairs. As I started moving, a blue bubble appeared out of thin air, and started orbiting around me. "Wha!?" I said out of surprise. "Security field. You're still a prisoner, remember?" Said Tracer in a matter of fact tone. After hearing Tracer's answer perfectly audibly through the bubble, I curiously reached out, and prodded at the bubble. It was firm as a rock to the touch, but matched my every movement. Amazed, I finally put one and one together. This Overwatch group must be a band of secret service soldiers or something. 'But why here, in Canada?' I thought. Without even realizing, I had self-consciously walked all the way over to a seat, and sat down.

Heavy footsteps began to shake the room. Looking up from the table, a massive gorilla pounded its way right through the double doors. "Welcome Winston" Chirped the robotic voice once again. "Look what I found lurking through the shadows." Started Lena. "Hmm… I thought you said the area was clear, Lena? Who is this, Athena?" Growled Winston. "Faze Kalzky. Age unknown. Origin unknown. Skills unknown. Health status, critical." Declared Athena. "She's not wrong. Say, would you happen to have any food-uhhhh" I slurred. My eyes seemed to gain a thousand pounds as I struggled to keep them open. Glancing down, it looked like the bleeding had sped up again. "Athena. Get the doctor in here, NOW." Ordered Winston. Looking at the bubble I was in, it appeared funny for no apparent reason. I began laughing manically while the concerned faces of Tracer and Winston looked down at me. Consciousness began slipping in and out; my eyelids could not stay open any longer, but I did feel a strange feeling of comfort. "Spaghetti…" I said, before everything drifted away.

There was a fork in the road; I stood tall, looking down both pathways. Both pathways were identical, leading straight into the heart of an ancient looking forest. The trees grew thick, and looked hundreds of years old. Branches grew gnarled, and fought for space amongst the trees. A strong gust of wind blew leaves across the forest floor, and shook branches around, creating a groaning noise. Already decided, "Screw this." I said, and turned around the opposite way.

"Do you know where you are?" A voice called out of the darkness. Instantly, the whole forest faded away, and I was left laying on a bed, with white sheets. "Right now, on a bed." I simply answered. A slender woman, average height, with long blonde hair stood at the opposite end of the room. "I'll send you my consultation fee." Said the woman. Looking down, I was amazed to see several stitches, no bleeding, and my right arm moved once again. My eyes felt quite sensitive to light, but despite that, I could see quite normally. "Do you take MasterCard?" I asked. The door of the small room burst open. "How about some information instead, Faze?" Said Winston as he lumbered through the door, followed by Tracer. "And thank you, Mercy." Added Winston as she left the room. "Well… what do you want to know? How I found your meeting?" I questioned. "That would be a start." Said Tracer in a cheery voice. "Well… I fell off a cliff. Then I floated down a river. Then, uh…. My arm was broken, so I uh… walked a lot. Then, I crawled up a hill and saw your meeting, and here we are." I said. Crossing her arms, "Not much of a storyteller, are you?" Said Tracer, unimpressed. "Hmm… let's go back. You said you simply fell off a cliff?" Questioned Winston. "Well… er… well… I was pushed, I guess. Didn't see him though." Looking at the faces across the room, they all shared a similar, knowing look. "Well, who are you guys? The army or something?" I asked. "We are Overwatch! Surely you must have heard of us. Overwatch has saved the world from the Omnic crisis in the past." Proudly stated Winston. "Sorry. I'm afraid not much goes on from where I come from. What are Omnics?" I asked curiously. "Well… I stand corrected. Overwatch saved most of the world from the Omnic crisis. Omnics are very complex. Like you humans, there are good Omnics, and bad Omnics. Many people consider them as robots, but I assure you, they are very much alive." Explained Winston. "You don't happen to be from Russia?" Curiously asked Tracer. With a deep sigh, this was the last question I wanted to answer. Taking a deep breath, I said "No. Where I'm from, it is nothing more than a pile of ash." The room grew silent. Finally, Winston said "I know this is hard for you Faze, but you are going to need to tell us exactly where you're from. We can help you!" For a year, I had been running away from my problems, but here I was, in a room full of friends. Evasion was a talent; a talent that kept me alive somehow. "Please, Faze. We want to help you." Quietly said Tracer. My throat felt dry. There was a long pause. "They killed everyone. They attacked from the air, the ground, everywhere. Nobody helped." I said in a wavering voice. Despite my efforts, my eyes began to water. "My best friend. Turned into a pile of ash right next to me. My house, my parents, everything!" I began shaking. "But WHERE!?" Growled Winston. "TELL US WHERE?" Stammering, I stuttered "T…T….Tr…Troy." A huge weight was lifted, one word had just summed up my life. Slowly raising my eyes, I made eye contact with Tracer. Her expression looked sympathetic; I had never seen her look sad before. "Athena! Find Troy!" Instructed Winston. A screen, swiveled out of the wall. A dot slowly moved to rest upon the geographic location of Troy. "Troy. Population: 80 000. Location: Northern British Columbia, Canada. Confirmed Status: Active." Said Athena.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Athena. Clarify active." Instructed Winston. "No change. Population remains at 80 000." Answered Athena. "Have there been any attacks on Troy?" Asked Winston. "Sorry. There are no attacks on record." Replied Athena. Three pairs of eyes turned in my direction. "I know what I saw." I said in a cold voice. Closing my eyes, I remembered it clear as day…

Faze glanced up at the clock… 9 P.M. With only an hour left in his shift, all that could enter his mind was the thought of going home. Being the most popular restaurant in the whole city, his gained its fame from cooking every meal manually. The difference between the automatic restaurants must have been huge, as his restaurant was fully booked years in advance. The pay was crap, but it was one of the few jobs left to put him through school. "Faze. I'll just get you to take the trash out, then you can go home for the night." Said his boss. Nodding, he reached down and turned the temperatures of his frying pans down to the minimum temperature, giving his coworker enough time to set up. Picking up three bags of trash, he opened the back door and slowly headed towards the dumpster in the back parking lot. Slowly making his way to the dumpster, he couldn't help but admire the beautiful sunset showing the end of another day. The sky was pink with plenty of daylight still left. Thoughts of his mother's homemade spaghetti entered his mind. Despite being a cook himself, she still made spaghetti so much better than he could. Opening the lid, he heaved all three bags in at once with one arm.

Without a moment's notice, an orange light flooded the sky. In shock, Faze looked up in the sky to see where the light could be coming from; the whole sky was full of orange. Out of the orange, an immense rectangular shape dropped down into plain view. It kept lowering down thousands of feet at a time until it remained only a kilometer above his restaurant. Faze's jaw dropped. "Would this be an alien visit?" he thought. Faze had always wanted to meet an alien. With eyes fixed on the immense rectangle, he surveyed the thing must be big enough to fit ten thousand people inside. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw more movement in the sky. It was yet another rectangular ship leaving the sky. Pulling out his holophone, Faze attempted to record what was going on. To his dismay, his phone was mysteriously dead, despite being at full power an hour ago. During this short time, even more ships began coming into view, until the sky was littered with rectangular ships everywhere. Faze could not believe what he was seeing. The back door opened, revealing the face of his short, but very angry boss. "Faze! Quit running the clock and get back in here and punch out!" Spat his angry boss. The moment his boss finished his sentence, the rectangular ship up above lit up; an orange beam seemed to emanate from the ship, growing darker and darker. The beam of light grew longer and longer, until it was focused right on the restaurant. The second the beam touched the restaurant, the ground began shaking in every direction. In seconds, the building lit up, then instantly turned the restaurant into a small pile of ash; a huge heat wave spread out in an enormous radius. Faze felt like his face was going to melt off. Ash sprinkled everywhere; erasing any proof of human existence. "Well… I guess I'll be going home now…" Said Faze to the empty space in front of him. Fishing in his pocket, he felt the familiar metallic feeling of his car keys. Faze spun around to see the parking lot perfectly intact, with his yellow 1972 Civic sitting in the lot. His car, being over a hundred years old still worked great; of course with a few modifications. Being that any automobile that was not self-driving was illegal, Faze installed the entire self-driving system onto his ancient car, but added a switch to turn the self-driving mode off at any time. Running as fast as his two legs could carry him, he sprinted the short one hundred feet to his door, yanking on the lever, and hopping in. Tapping the key on the ignition, the car sprang to life. "Take me home." Ordered Faze. "Calculating route. All routes are blocked. Would you like to change your destination?" Answered the preprogrammed computer. "No." Said Faze as he reached forward flicking the self-driving mode switch off. Hitting another button, a gear lever popped out of the middle console. Faze was no rookie at driving without a computer; many times he would drive manually when he was running late for work, leaving curious motorists behind in the dust. "This would be one of those times." He said to himself. Slamming on the gas pedal, he peeled onto the highway next to his work. Just as he pulled out, another beam slammed into the parking lot he had just left. Not even bothering to look back, Faze changed gears into second, then third. Beams were slamming the city from every angle; visibility decreased to a minimum as ash floated as far as he could see. Turning his wipers onto maximum, they only seemed to smear the ash with hardly any effect. With deft hands, he quickly spritzed window wiper fluid across the windshield (something modern cars never used anymore). This helped Faze for about twenty seconds before being coated in ash a second time. Faze had never felt so much adrenaline in his life. He was just some broke college kid who lived in his parents' basement, lived a boring life, and here he was driving through the Armageddon. The sound of lasers destroying the city as he drove through the city was rather off putting; so, Faze quickly flipped on his MP5 player, listening to a bit of instrumental music. Faze had been accelerating so much, his third gear was nearing maximum capacity, just as he was about to shift into fourth, he saw movement in the corner of his eye; a massive pine tree was falling right into his path. Moving his hand back onto his clutch, he shifted into 4th gear and floored it. Just squeezing under the pine tree, a sharp turn was approaching. With loads of experience, he instinctively pulled the clutch down, then turned his steering wheel to the right. With his right hand, he grabbed the emergency brake, then put it back down again. The car drifted around the corner at a perfect angle, slowing back to a steady speed again. With a bit of sweat dripping into his eyes, he squinted to see the familiar highway exit leading home.

Faze sped through the exit, emerging through the raining ash. Up ahead, it was still clear of the rectangular ships of death. Before he even knew it, he quickly pulled into his own usual parking spot. The neighborhood, still somehow oblivious to the destruction around them, remained quiet as usual. Frantically, Faze sprinted towards the front door. "Mom! Dad! We need to get out of here!" Shouted Faze as he tore through the door. Running upstairs, he saw his parents, brother and best friend all sitting on the sofas, eyes glued to the television. "The Omnic crisis continues to devastate Russia. Today, another twenty deaths are confirmed. It is unknown if the crisis has spread outside the borders." Announced a female reporter in a smoke filled city. "We need to get out! We're under attack!" Faze repeated. "Ha ha. I think we'd have heard something if that were true, son." Said Faze's father. "I'm not lying, Dad! My work just got burnt to the ground!" Desperately replied Faze as he began grabbing important objects. "Even if we were under attack, we're safest here." Said Faze's mother. "Connor! Guys! You have to trust me. We don't have much time!" Said Faze in a last ditch effort. Faze had finished grabbing the last of his gear, when Connor turned around. "I've known you since I was born. Let's go." Faze, surprised to see his friend serious for once, made eye contact. Connor, normally being the funny guy, never left a conversation without a joke. Quickly, the pair rushed out the door to see the ash cloud had already reached the neighborhood. With eyes wide open, Connor said "What did you do?" "Hey, the ash is good for gardening, ya know? Replied Faze. "Dude, I knew you were into recycling and all that, but you never told me you were going to turn the whole city into a botanical garden!" Shot back Connor. Laughing only once, an orange beam once again jetted through the sky and obliterated what was once, Faze's house. Horror struck, the pair turned and ran towards the forest bordering the edge of the city. Faze did not have any time to show emotion. Survival was engrained in his mind, and running was his only choice. Connor, already out of breath began slowing down after two minutes of running. "We're not going to make it." Said Connor, out of breath. "Correct." Said a woman, off to the side. She had appeared out of nowhere, as if she slithered through the light. Wearing a grey jumpsuit with a funny circular logo on it, she also held a threatening looking weapon, which appeared to be a gun. Her brown eyes were full of malice, cold and calculating. "Are you one of them?" Asked Connor pointing up at the orange light. "Yes." Coldly answered the woman. "Why!?" Exclaimed Faze. "What did we ever do to you!?" The woman chuckled, then looked Faze straight in the eye. "Foolish. There is no room for humans. Not anywhere." She said in a French accent. With that, she raised her gun up to her shoulder and fired once, straight at Connor; instantly turning him into nothing, but a small pile of ash. "No!" Screamed Faze as he lunged at the woman. With quick reflexes, she turned her sights into Faze's direction. Before Faze had even taken three steps, she fired. Faze felt an agonizingly burning sensation, his backpack, and clothes burned away as if they were nothing. His burning skin felt as if it was shrinking into nothing. "I guess this is it." He thought. But there he stood; naked in the field. For a second, the woman stared at him in disbelief. Just as confused, Faze sprinted right past her straight towards the tree line. The woman aimed her sights once again, and fired. The beam struck Faze once more giving him the same agonizing pain from before. Wanting to scream, he clenched his teeth, and kept on running. Within seconds, he made it into the forest, away from his executioner. Naked and alone, but alive.


	4. Chapter 4

Update October 2nd, 2016: Ok, so I took an age and a half to write this chapter, but there it is! EVERY chapter in this entire story has received a few minor edits which don't affect the story line. I've also increased text size a bit, and increased spacing for dialogue. I'm not sure if there's anything I need to improve on as nobody has asked. This story is a joy to write, and I'm very excited to write the next chapter!

Chapter 4

There was a long pause. "I'm not crazy. I know what I saw." I repeated.

"Tell me… What did these attackers look like? Perhaps the Omnic invasion has spread further than we thought." Asked Winston.

"All I know is that they flew in very large rectangular ships. They would shoot enormous orange beams that would turn everything into ash. The only person I saw was a woman. She wore a grey jumpsuit, had brown eyes, and she was white skinned." I answered.

"Hmph, these weapons you have described have never existed before. It is possible this Omnic revolution has become what we feared. As for the woman you described, she sounds very close to someone we know. Can you tell me anything else about her?" Asked Winston as he and Tracer shared a knowing look.

The emotion I had let out all came rushing back. "She killed Connor! She shot him, she shot me; Twice. He's dead." I growled.

I had never felt like such an enraged animal before; I was holding back tears, my brain was sluggish, and revenge was the only thought that kept me standing. My vision became clouded, I didn't even care what Winston had to say. As I stood there, two arms came out of nowhere, and hugged me. Looking up, it was Tracer with the same sad look as before. I was so surprised, I was speechless. Hugging her back, I buried my face into her shoulder. Part of my mind was telling me that men were not supposed to show this much emotion, but I didn't care. Nobody, besides my mother had ever hugged me before, and I didn't want this moment to end.

A minute had passed until I pulled myself away. "Thank you." I said weakly. Tracer simply returned with an encouraging smile. Sighing, the room became quiet again. The last few days had been nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster, forcing me to leave my primal fight or flight mode. Breaking the silence, Winston said "Well, it's settled then. Tracer and I will be bringing you back to Troy. Then, we truly will know if the Omnics have been, or still are there." Putting myself back into reality, I replied "Sure, let's do it, but how are we getting there? It's a pretty long walk, believe me!"

"We fly." Said Tracer in a cheerful voice.

"Awesome! I've never flown before in my life!" I said enthusiastically.

"Is there anything you have done before?" Sarcastically asked Winston.

"Hey! I'm not useless! I know how to cook, drive, and fix a lot of stuff." I shot back.

"Impressive, the average human can do that at four years old." Replied Winston unimpressed.

"Manually?" I asked.

"What the!? This is going to be an interesting trip. Tell me, have you ever made peanut butter cookies?" Excitedly asked Winston.

Glancing over at Tracer, it was evident she was stifling a laugh.

"Hmm… Out of all the most complicated food items, why peanut butter cookies?" I asked out of curiosity.

Winston blushed.

"Uh… Oh, nothing. The hangar is right this way" Said Winston as he pointed at a large door down the hall.

"This building is enormous, how on earth do you guys find your way around this place?" I asked as we trudged towards yet another door.

"I don't know, first time in this facility, myself." Said Winston in a matter of fact tone.

"Well, sometimes we all make mistakes, but you have to keep picking yourself back up. You'll find your way around here in no time!" Answered Tracer.

I couldn't stop but think how positive Tracer was. She was so genuine, it was impossible not to like her.

"Well, thanks!" I said as I noticed an open door to the side.

"Hey! What's this room?" I called out as I jumped inside.

The room was dark and mysterious, as if it was hiding a secret waiting to be unfolded.

Within seconds, Winston lumbered through the door and flipped a switch. The lights flickered on, revealing the room's contents.

"This room is what most would call "broom closet". Muttered Winston as he flipped the lights back off.

Tracer stood at the end of the doorway with one hand on her hip, and the other against her forehead.

Slightly embarrassed, I left the room as quickly as I entered it.

Continuing my walk, I trudged onwards straight through the open door at the end of the hall. There was a slight turn after passing through the entrance. The second I rounded the corner, I audibly gasped. I was standing atop an enormous platform leading downwards to the hangar below. The ship that was below looked as if it were straight out of a comic book. It was larger than any passenger plane I had ever seen, and the engines attached to the back, looked plain futuristic. The shape of the ship looked perfectly designed to withstand the most vicious of attacks, and the aerodynamics would have any engineer drooling into their clipboard.

"What are you waiting for!? Get in!" Called out Winston from the entrance of the ship.

Snapping out of my trance, both Tracer and Winston were a thousand feet below from the platform, already inside the ship.

'How is that even possible?' I thought as I sprinted down hundreds of stairs. Slightly out of breath, I had reached the bottom of the staircase. Eyes bulging, the entrance ramp to the ship was still a half kilometer away.

"I was only looking for like thirty seconds." I muttered to myself. Two minutes later, after a lot of sprinting, I at last reached the bottom of the ship's platform. Breathing heavily, I marched the final few steps to board the ship. The exact instant my foot cleared the entrance, the door sealed behind me.

"You guys don't mess around." I said as I collapsed onto the nearest chair.

Tracer and Winston both laughed.

Inside the ship, it was shaped like the letter "u". The middle of the ship was long and flat, while there was a staircase leading upwards to several control panels on either end of the ship. There were about twelve stairs leading upwards to each end of the interior. Within a split second, I watched as Winston effortlessly jumped up the entire flight of stairs in a single leap. Eyes bulging, I blinked hard to ensure he really did just jump up a flight of stairs.

"And you thought being able to bake peanut butter cookies was impressive!" I exclaimed.

"Any other hidden talents you're hiding?" I added.

"For the time being, you don't want to see me when I'm angry." Chortled Winston.

"Well, I've seen everything today." I said while leaning backwards into my seat.

"Welcome to our life." Replied Tracer as she took a seat opposite to mine.

Meanwhile, Winston was furiously tapping away at every control that was within his reach. At last, after a minute, Winston hopped back down to the main platform with Tracer and I.

"Athena. Set course to Troy." Commanded Winston.

"Buckle in, this is going to be a bumpy ride!" Exclaimed Tracer.

Reaching for my seatbelt, I began questioning this Athena.

'Could this computer be right?' I thought. I knew for a solid fact, I witnessed half the city turn into a large pile of ash. My best friend died right beside me; these feelings I felt just couldn't be an illusion.

Groaning, thoughts began circling in my head.

'Maybe you're crazy. Maybe none of these people you knew never even existed? Maybe right now, you're not actually on board a ship, you're just chained to a hospital bed drooling, dreaming of some fantasy world with a talking gorilla. Your real family waits by your bedside, hoping that someday, you'll wake from your paralyzed state.'

"Shut up! Just shut up!" I shouted while beating my head.

Tracer and Winston, both concerned looked straight at me. Cringing, I felt ashamed for my outburst.

"Everything alright?" Asked Tracer.

"Ya, ya. Sorry about that. Please, just get us there; I need to know." I said determinedly.

"Arrival should be in fifteen minutes." Announced Winston as the ship began taking off.

With a sonic boom, my head was forced backwards into the headrest. Even at sonic speeds, the same thoughts from before continued to echo in my mind.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Approaching Troy in five minutes." Announced Athena.

With cold lips, dark eyes, I gazed straight ahead. I was the sole survivor of Troy, and I was running out of time. For years, I had hardened myself against anyone, and anything. These people I was with… They were different. They genuinely cared about everything. Somehow, despite caring, they were carefree. Even in the heat of any moment, they could flash a trademark smile. It seemed nearly psychopathic, but yet again, I knew deep down, they were heroes.

"Approaching Troy in one minute." Announced Athena.

Pressing my face into the glass, I could see the city in the distance. Undisturbed.

"Well… Looks like Troy is still there." Said Winston.

"Uh… ya. I guess you're right." I replied.

Out of the blue, I added "Could we stop at my restaurant? Seems like a logical place to start; if it's the same restaurant, peanut butter cookies are on the menu."

"Oh boy! Er, I mean yes; very logical." Enthusiastically answered Winston.

"You can count me in!" Added Tracer.

"Now entering Troy." Announced Athena.

The ship instantly slowed to a slow glide, quickly descending to the ground. The door came to life, and lowered to the ground. Through the door, there were a lot of trees concealing the location of the ship. Further past the trees, it was clearly evident the city was operating as normal. Highways were bustling with automatics, people were walking in every direction, and the buildings looked maintained as ever.

"Well, I'm officially insane. Please drop me off at the next asylum after that lunch." I announced.

"Woah. We're here to help, Faze. I believe you." Said Tracer.

"And so do I." Declared Winston.

"You guys really are heroes. I don't even believe myself, but you do." I said.

Tracer and Winston simply smiled back.

For the next twenty minutes, we simply walked towards the restaurant. Getting the occasional mystified glance as we walked by, the city seemed normal. I suppose talking gorillas weren't a usual thing; I certainly had never seen one until yesterday.

"I see now. This whole city doesn't know who we are!" Said Winston.

"Well, they do now." I replied.

Tracer laughed.

Approaching the familiar doors, I pulled one open and led the group inside. As I stepped inside, I recognized the server, Emily.

"Hey Faze! You're not scheduled until tomorrow."

'What!?' The whole world could have exploded, and I wouldn't have even noticed. My mind was doing jumping jacks. For a split second, my eyes went bug eyed before I could compose myself.

Keeping it cool, I said "I know, just brought some friends. Table for 3 please." As I pointed behind myself.

"Is… is that a gorilla!?" Exclaimed Emily, dropping her clipboard.

"No. I'm a scientist!" Bellowed Winston.

"Ah, ok. I'm so so sorry! Follow me right this way." Said Emily as she turned pink.

"Hmph." Snorted Winston. As Emily led us to a table in the corner of the restaurant.

"Well, this is turning out to be an interesting day." Cheerfully said Tracer.

Emily began passing menus out to everyone as we were seated.

"I'm so sorry about my mistake, sir. You get a free meal because of my horrible service." Said Emily, looking at Winston.

"And you two will get Faze's employee discount, no questions asked."

"No worries luv." Said Tracer in a comforting voice.

"Winston can be really sensitive, but deep down he really is a cuddly ole gorilla."

Taking a sigh of relief, Emily said "So what can I get for you today?"

"The finest manual peanut butter cookies of your establishment please." Requested Winston.

Giggling, Emily said "No problem! I'll make sure you get twice as much. Are you sure that's all?"

Tracer and Emily both laughed making eye contact.

If I were a scientist, I'd have to analyze my coworker and Tracer were getting along quickly. Still in full panic mode, I began scanning all the booths in the restaurant. Every single customer in the entire joint was a regular with the exception of one. Sitting at the bar, a man sat hunched over, holding a glass of whisky. He wore a red cape, a cowboy hat, and appeared to have a metal hand. He had brown hair, a beard, and a mustache. Everything about him screamed 'I'm a cowboy'. Thing is, cowboys haven't been around for at least two hundred years. This day was never going to end.

"Ok guys! It was nice meeting you Tracer. Nice meeting you too, Winston. It was an honour getting to know ya, but I gotta run. Everything is normal, surprise! Enjoy your meals, hope you like Troy. Maybe next time I see you, things will be more normal. Good luck on your Omnic thing. Bye!" I quickly said before I ran out the door.

This was getting out of hand. I had to go to the last place I wanted to go. My house.

Sprinting the entire way, I only had five kilometres until I would reach my house. Reaching back to past memories, I remembered that Connor would show up at my house most evenings to hang out. Connor was reduced to a pile of ash right in front of me. If he was still alive, I don't know what else in my life I'd have left to hang onto.

Sweat poured across my forehead as I ran as quickly as my legs would take me. My thoughts grew darker the closer I got to home. Being only a couple blocks away, I felt something I hadn't felt in over a year. Fear. My legs felt like spaghetti as I forced myself up the last few streets. Closing my eyes, and clenching my fists, I kept going. I was there.

Opening my eyes, there it stood. The house I witnessed turn into a giant pile of ash, wickedly grinned back at me. Shivering, I walk down the sidewalk towards the front door. Despite it being a warm summer day, the world seemed to get colder. Everything looked mischievous and fake. Taking a deep breath, I reached out and knocked on the door.

A few moments passed, and the door was answered by no one other than my mother. I was ready to pass out, but I had already gone too far.

"Hi Mom, I'm back." I said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Seconds began to feel like minutes; I felt as if I were staring into the face of death. A year ago, I had mourned the death of everyone I knew, and just yesterday, had moved on. Staring her straight in her brown eyes, I felt unconvinced it could actually be her.

"Well, come in. You have a house key, you know?" Said my mother in an annoyed voice.

"And where's your hover car?" She added.

Within a moment, her gaze went from one of annoyance to suspicion.

Confused beyond belief, I racked my brains for an answer. One wrong answer would reveal how far from the grid I really was.

"Oh, I walked. The vertial gasket blew on my hover car. Should be ready tomorrow." I replied.

Pointing upstairs, my mother beckoned me into the house.

As I walked in, I felt sick to my stomach. Everything in the house was exactly where it was a year ago, to the exact detail. It was as if a year hadn't even passed. That settled it. I was home, I fell asleep for a day, had the weirdest dream, and now life is back to normal now. Shaking my head, I took off my shoes, began whistling, and then casually walked up the stairs towards the living room. As I strolled through the door, I was met with no other person, but Connor.

'Ok, it was a long dream. You probably got pranked, and drank way too much. Just talk to him.' I thought to myself.

"Hey, Connor!" I said cheerfully as I sat on a couch across from him.

Connor sat motionless, gazing ahead at the television.

"Anything new?" Muttered Connor.

This was textbook Connor behavior. But, I just had to test my dream at least once. Sitting still for a few moments, I broke the silence.

"You never told me you were going to turn the whole city into a botanical garden!" I quoted.

A whole minute had passed, nothing happening but some garbage show playing in the background, when all of a sudden, Connor burst out laughing.

"I totally forgot about that one! That guy was pretty amazing." He said with a smirk.

"What the fuck!" I screamed in shock. With an adrenaline surge, I sprung to my feet and sprinted down the stairs. I had taken no more than 8 steps before being blocked by my mother.

"You're not going anywhere honey. We have a lot to talk about." She said.

"No!" I shouted in a panic.

My face was paler than death itself.

"I don't know who you are, or where you're from, but I do not know you."

The front door opened.

"But we know you." Said Faze as he walked through the front door.

I was ready to explode. Everything I knew that was up, was down. Whoever I was looking at, was beyond anything I could comprehend.

"Who are you people!?" I sputtered.

"Hmm… I'm glad you asked. We've been after you for a very long time; I suppose the least I can do is tell you that." Said my doppelganger.

Cutting my doppelganger off, Connor spoke up.

"We're the same people, ya know Faze? But better." He explained.

With righteous anger, I was not going to agree to a word any of these creeps had to offer.

"You are just a memory stuck in the history of my life, get far away from me!"

Taken aback, Connor was speechless. The doppelganger however, went back to his explanation.

"In fact, after the invasion of this pitiful village, we began collecting the remains. According to our records, yours were the only ones still missing. You were an absolute idiot to come back; an armed security force is already stationed around the house. Who are we, you ask? We are the Wreth."


End file.
